GRAB BAG: Have you ever thought about what tools you already have around the house that can help you in your photographic endeavors? See what gear Don Komarechka keeps in his camera bag that can come in handy in a variety of situations.

SALES: Many portrait photographers sell printed pieces based on their clients' space and where those images could end up being displayed. See why the Million Dollar Photographer goes against this rational and sells the portrait simply based on the portrait, and how that's translated in to some major bucks!

TECHNICAL TOOLS: We all know histograms are extremely important to creating an impactful image, but most photographers don't understand them as well as they could. Read this awesome tutorial from Cambridge in Colour to deepen your knowledge of these helpful guys.

TRESPASSING: It's great to see the photography community is trying to change the perception of photographing on railroad tracks, but it's also great to see the actual railroad company is discouraging it as well! Watch the video from Union Pacific and feel free to share it on your social accounts to educate your clients as well!

PROTECTION: If your camera allows you to add copyright EXIF metadata to your photos, take the time and do it! It could help you recover your gear if it goes missing, which was the case for one photographer in Australia. Read on about this great case of super sleuthing from PetaPixel and be more protected.

CHILDS PLAY: Bring in the kiddos for this fun shoot! Use this tutorial to create great kid images using multiple exposures - of course this also works for other jobs, but why not bring the youngsters in since they're off of school?

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: If you're interested in improving your action shots, this is an excellent article for you! Autumn Lockwood at Picture Correct goes over the seven key tips to keep in mind when trying to better your skills in capturing movement.

SUCCESS: Go behind the scenes to see how Michael Gowin grew his headshot business to the point where he earned a feature in Professional Photographer magazine. Learn what he values in a business, what unique things he brings to his local market and see what might apply to you.

BUSINESS: Booray Perry and Gary Hughes are back in the round up talking with Rob Moorman about how to only take the jobs that keep your business on track for where you're trying to go. Take a moment, enjoy the entertainment and see if you subscribe to the same philosophies.

There you have it - our favorite posts of the week! What photography blogs or podcasts do you follow? Post your favorites on theLoop or email them to us at OnlineContentCommittee (at) PPA (dot) com.

Sarah Ackerman is known around PPA as #Sarah in part because she handles all things social media and in order to differentiate herself from the other Sarahs in the office. Sarah loves improv comedy (think "Whose Line") and routinely performs around Atlanta. When she's not tweeting/facebooking/instagramming all of the action at PPA, she can be found gallivanting around the world or wandering around the woods with her pup, but more than likely she's on stage making people giggle.